What does a typical day studying abroad in Barcelona look like? I thought what was more fitting to write about on my last day of classes. IES Barcelona courses are concluding final class periods and we are on our way to finals week.
I have been meaning to write about and document what a typical day in my life is like, and I am just getting to it now. I have appreciated every day in Barcelona even though some were hard and stressful. So what do I do everyday?
Good Morning!
Today is a Thursday. I start by waking up at 8:30AM to make my breakfast and wash my face before our cleaning lady arrives at 9AM. We are fortunate enough to have a cleaning staff that cleans our apartment twice a week as a measure against COVID-19. I sip my coffee and eat my breakfast in my room as I complete an online Spanish quiz due later today. I answer emails and organize my schoolwork until it is time to get ready for class. My first class of the day on Thursday’s is International Marketing 11:20AM. I leave my apartment at 11:15AM to walk to the IES center just down the street (I am SO lucky with my apartment location). My class usually ends around 1pm, but we finished early around 12:30PM.
After my first class, I walk across the street to El Corte Ingles. This is the nine-story one-stop shop for anything you could ever need. In an apartment, IES gave students a grocery stipend to El Corte Ingles. Here, I pick up a few basics – hazelnut milk (don’t knock it until you try it), eggs, and bananas. From Corte, I walk the five minutes back to my apartment to make lunch and talk to my roommates. My next class of the day is Spanish at 2:25PM with my Art and Design class following. In Spanish, we show our final presentations and review for our final exam next week.
And here we are – my final official class period of Study Abroad. What a bittersweet moment. My Art and Design class might be my favorite class from Barcelona. I am so happy to be in an art class but equally as sad to know that it is my last class, and that my time abroad is slowly coming to an end. We wrap-up our assignments and turn in our sketchbooks for final grading. I begin to stress over my final project but say goodbye to everyone and am on my way.
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
Ahead of me is my final weekend in Barcelona. I am feeling nostalgic as I enter this time. I feel overwhelmed with my final assignments and exams. However, I am looking forward to spending the weekend with all of my friends I have met abroad. This weekend and next week will definitely be a a push to the finish line of the semester, but I am very excited to return to the United States.
Bittersweet is the only way to describe this feeling. I have become more comfortable in Barcelona. I have my routine, my friends, and a new life. The idea of leaving all of this is hard. With that being said, I am so excited to return home to see all of my family for Christmas. I am ready to have my feet back in the United States and return to some normality. I am so ready to see my family, but I will miss Barcelona dearly which is why I will cherish this last weekend.
Buen fin de semana!